5 Winter Glove-Buying Tips to Make This Your Best Winter Yet

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder and the fact is – whether you want to accept it or not – Winter. Is. Coming.

Nothing makes a winter work day feel longer than being ill prepared. So with that in mind, here are some top tips to help you choose the right winter work glove.

If you’re working outside in wet and wintry conditions, you’re going to be at risk for frostnip, frostbite or hypothermia. We wrote a blog dedicated to the dangers of these conditions, which you can read here.

This blog focuses on prevention tips to eliminate the risk before it becomes a concern.

“Finally… I can ponder what life is without having cold hands.”

Tip #1: Keep Your Hands Dry to Keep Your Temperature Up

Wet gloves can have drastic results. As moisture penetrates through the glove, your body temperature starts to dip, making you feel cold. Once your body temperature drops in these conditions, you’ll need to remove the wet gloves and go inside to warm up.

Depending on where you work this can be impossible to do and can become costly if it’s a regular occurrence.

The Solution:Choose a winter work glove with some level of water resistance. The correct level depends on the task itself, ranging from treating your gloves with wax for light water resistance or choosing a waterproof option, like the one pictured below.

Tip #2: Choose the Best Winter Work Glove Material

Choosing the right insulation for your winter work gloves is important and there’s a few options out there including boa acrylic, cotton flannel and foam fleece.

The reason Thinsulate™ tops our list is because it’s designed to trap air around your hand to keep you warm.

It’s thin so it won’t limit your range of motion, and it wicks sweat away from your skin to keep your body temperature from dropping.

Tip #3: Find the Best Winter Work Glove Fit

Finding the proper fit is important regardless of the season, but winter gloves have their own set of rules for finding the proper fit.

Rule #1: The Fingertips

In the right pair of winter work gloves, there should be a little bit of room between your fingers and the end of the glove. This small pocket of air traps warmth around your fingertips.

Rule #2: The Base of the Fingers

Pay attention to how the glove fits around the webbing at the base of your fingers. If the glove is crammed against the base of your fingers, then it’s no good. This compresses the insulation, which means the glove can’t properly trap air and your hands will be chilly very soon.

Rule #3: The Wrist

Consider how far the glove extends down your wrist. Does the glove provide sufficient coverage to avoid gaps and exposed skin in the area between your glove and jacket?

Tip #4: Consider the Type of Work

Keeping your hands warm while working is important, but there are other factors that need to be considered:

How physically demanding is the work?

Is dexterity important?

What is the temperature of your environment?

Keep these in mind when choosing between gloves or mittens.

Gloves are ideal for jobs that require high dexterity like tool handling. But if dexterity isn’t your biggest concern and the temperature is dropping, grab a pair of mittens. By allowing your fingers to remain together, mittens generate more heat than gloves and can allow you to work for longer periods of time.

Tip #5: Dress Like an Onion

No; not in solid, drab colors… but in layers!

Maybe you’re happy with your current glove and you aren’t looking for other options.

The big concern is that it’s too cold to properly perform your tasks.

In these cases, a liner with moisture-wicking properties will be your best bet to keep your hands dry and provide a little extra insulation.